John (Jack) Robert Gulbranson

passed away on peacefully in his home on Saturday, June 9, 2007. He was 83.See Jack's Photo Album....Click hereWith his quick, quirky sense of humor and genuine concern for others, Jack Gulbranson could easily elicit smiles from the people of any room he entered.Jack's good spirit and cheery personality served him well as a husband, father, grandfather and banker."He was a funny, loving, kind-hearted and general all-around good guy," said Anne Gulbranson, his wife of 59 years. "He made people happy."The son of an oilman, Jack was born July 22, 1923, in St. Paul, Minn., to Robert and Helen (Kneupfer) Gulbranson. After a brief stay in Texas, the family settled in Wichita, Kan., where, as a youth in the peaceful days before World War II, Jack enjoyed playing hockey on frozen lakes and fishing with his father. He graduated from Wichita East High School, where he formed life-long friendships, and enjoyed attending reunions in Kansas in recent years. After graduation, in 1942, Jack and his good friend, Red Marvin, traveled to Portland, Ore., where they found jobs at Willamette Iron & Steel, working on Liberty Ships.A veteran of World War II, as a corporal in the 1254th Engineer Combat Battalion, Jack proudly served in the European Theater. He fondly recalled singing songs with fellow soldiers and delighted in telling war stories, including the time he captured a "Nazi general," who turned out to be the postmaster of Hildesheim, Germany.Upon returning from the war, Jack attended the University of Kansas and married Anne Roberts, whom he met in 1943 during army training at Washington State College. The couple had their first child in 1949 and moved to Anne's hometown, Seattle, after Jack completed college in 1950.Several weeks of pestering Dan Conley, vice president of personnel at Washington Mutual, paid off for Jack, as he was hired at the bank in 1950 to work in statistics and accounting.During the 1950s, the Gulbransons had three more children and Jack worked his way up to vice president and director of personnel. The family moved to Bainbridge Island in 1962.At Washington Mutual, where Jack hired hundreds of employees during his 32-year tenure, he took joy in helping others solve problems. He also kept a keen eye out for athletic female employees who could improve the bank's women's softball team he helped coach."Jack had a terrific sense of humor and he used it to good effect," said Bill Ballew, a longtime friend and coworker. "I don't think he had an enemy in the whole bank. He always had something funny or nice to say to everyone."In retirement, one of Jack's greatest pleasures was fishing the waters off the shores of his beloved home on Pleasant Beach. He often said that being at home was like being on vacation every day. Good years saw him reel in hundreds of salmon and cod. He enjoyed bird watching, trips to the ocean and Palm Desert, following the Mariners and Seahawks, his monthly get-togethers with friends, and his annual 4th of July fireworks display.An admiring grandfather, Jack also reveled in the academic and professional achievements of his grandchildren. He was quick to pull their pictures from his wallet.Jack is survived by his wife, Anne; four children, Robert (Bud) Gulbranson, Mary Lou Austin (Glenn), Gail Jensen (Howard) and Mark Gulbranson (Mary Carol); and five grandchildren: Jocelyn Ungar, J.J. Jensen, Laura Jensen, Amy Gulbranson and Erin Gulbranson.A private memorial will be held in his honor. In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made to Hospice of Kitsap County, 3100 Bucklin Hill Rd. #201, P.O. Box 3416, Silverdale, WA 98383.Arrangements by Cook Family Funeral Home.